Prosecutor won’t file charges in Madison police shooting

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Madison Police Department

Prosecutor won’t file charges in Madison police shooting

Madison Police Department

MADISON — Prosecutors won’t file charges against a Madison police officer who shot and killed a man who advanced toward him with a pitchfork.

Officer Hector Rivera shot Michael Schumacher in July after Schumacher broke into a house and began breaking things. Police said Rivera entered the house and shot Schumacher as he approached him brandishing the pitchfork.

Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said in a news release Tuesday that Schumacher came at Rivera holding the pitchfork up like a spear and ignored orders to stop. Ozanne said Rivera was justified in using deadly force to protect himself.

Ozanne said Schumacher had a history of mental illness but police didn’t know who he was so the information didn’t factor into Rivera’s decision to open fire.